A completely normal spectral space that is not a real spectrum (Q1336460)

In this paper it is proved that there exist completely normal spaces that are not real spectra of rings. Real spectra of rings are known to be spectral spaces in the sense of Hochster and the problem of characterizing topologically real spectra has been considered from the beginning of this theory. A property which is quite easy to notice for real spectra, and closely linked to the ordered structures of fields considered in this theory, is the following, called complete normality: whenever points \(x\) and \(y\) are specializations of the same point \(z\) (this means that they belong to the closure of the singleton \(\{z\})\), then either \(x\) is a specialization of \(y\) or \(y\) is a specialization of \(x\). This paper proves that in order to find a topological description of real spectra, new topological properties of real spectra have to be identified. A completely normal spectral space is constructed which is not the real spectrum of a ring. The example presented is one dimensional which is the first dimension where such a result can be hoped. The construction relies on the Dedekind completion -- through cuts -- of completely dense totally ordered sets and to a construction due to Hausdorff of an \(\eta_2\)-set (where \(\omega_2\) is the second infinite cardinal): it is a set \(Y\) such that for every two subsets \(A\) and \(B\) of \(Y\) such that \(A < B\) with cardinality less than \(\omega_2\), there exist \(y\) in \(Y\) such that \(A < y < B\).